Rizwan | Pakistan

Former Pakistan One-day International captain Mohammad Rizwan voluntarily decided to take a step back and let Shaheen Shah Afridi take charge as his successor when the country’s cricket board was mulling the decision, the latter revealed on Monday. Shaheen was appointed in the role last month in what seemed like an abrupt development with Rizwan being stripped off captaincy despite spending only five ODI series and an ICC Champions Trophy campaign in charge. While the wicket-keeper-batter had a disastrous show at the Champions Trophy, he led Pakistan to series wins in Australia and South Africa last year and against the West Indies this year. According to multiple media reports, Rizwan was at loggerheads with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) when he was removed as captain – reportedly turning down the central contract. Shaheen, however, seems to have cleared the air, stating in the press conference on the eve of Pakistan’s three-match ODI series opener against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, that he had a discussion...

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan joined an elusive list of bowlers in T20 cricket by dismissing Mohammad Rizwan in their CPL 2025 game. The former Bangladesh captain became just the fifth bowler to have taken 500 or more wickets in T20 cricket. Shakib achieved the milestone during his Antigua and Barbuda Falcons’ game against St […]

LAHORE: The confidence radiating from Rizwan Ali is palpable. As he prepares to move into the cage on Sunday at the Pakistan Open MMA Championship, the undefeated lightweight fighter isn’t just predicting a win; rather he is forecasting a swift and decisive conclusion to his bout against Egypt’s Adham “Warrior” Mohamed. “It will, hopefully, be a knockout finish,” Rizwan told Dawn, a prediction backed by the momentum of two back-to-back knockout wins that have solidified his status as one of Pakistan’s top mixed martial artists. Speaking on his upcoming clash, Rizwan framed it as a classic striker versus grappler match-up. He acknowledged the contrasting styles each man brings to the cage. While Adham boasts a record of 11 wins and four losses and carries a reputation for his grappling strength, Rizwan believes his own striking prowess will be the difference-maker. “We both have contrasting styles as my opponent struggles in striking while I lack a bit in my wrestling; so it will be a good fight,” he said, ant...

DUBAI: Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has expressed confidence in the country’s emerging talent, backing youngsters to step up in the absence of former mainstays Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Babar and Rizwan, once Pakistan’s revered T20I opening pair, have been sidelined from the format as the team pursues a more aggressive approach under new leadership. The transition follows the appointments of Mike Hesson as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach and Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain earlier this year. Hesson has publicly stated that Babar and Rizwan need to refine their T20I skills to reclaim their spots in the national XI. With the senior duo out of favour, Pakistan are relying on less-experienced players such as Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Mohammad Haris to bolster the top order, while Hasan Nawaz has emerged as a promising middle-order batter. All featured prominently in Hesson’s first three assignments and are set to play when Pakistan begin their tri-nation series in the United Arab Emir...

Pakistan left out Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the T20 squad named on Sunday for the Asia Cup and a warm-up tri-series beginning this month against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Azam and Rizwan have been star performers in the shortest format in the past, but have not played since December, which head coach Mike Hesson put down to other players performing well while addressing a press conference. “We know what a fine player Babar (Azam) is,” said Hesson. “Babar has been asked to improve in certain areas, like taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate, and he is working hard on these things. “The players we have are performing well and having a positive impact,” said Hesson. Since Hesson took over as head coach in May, Pakistan have played three T20 series — winning 3-0 at home but losing 2-1 away to Bangladesh. They then beat the West Indies 2-1 in the United States. “Our focus is to win the tri-series and the Asia Cup,...

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has expressed hope to carry the winning momentum from the T20I series into the upcoming Pakistan vs West Indies ODIs. The three-match ODI series between the two sides is set to begin on August 8 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad. The national team will then face the […]

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to 13 players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, for global franchise leagues. Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, and Shadab Khan have confirmed their availability for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) Draft, scheduled to take place on June 19. In a statement on […]

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dropped Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan on Wednesday as it named a new-look squad for three home Twenty20 internationals against Bangladesh. Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson will take charge for the first time after being appointed last week, replacing Aaqib Javed. Salman Ali Agha will captain Pakistan as they look towards next year’s T20 World Cup, to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Shaheen had played in Pakistan’s last T20 series in New Zealand in March, but batsmen Babar and Rizwan were omitted for the second consecutive T20 series after being criticised for slow scoring. “The squad has been selected based on players’ performances in the ongoing Pakistan Super League, which concludes on May 25,” the PCB said in a statement. Shaheen has taken 12 wickets for Lahore Qalandars in 10 PSL matches at an economy rate of 8.20. Opener Sahibzada Farhan earned a recall after topping the PSL batting charts with 394 runs. Batsmen Saim Ayub and Fakhar...